Space issues in Highland Elementary School were discussed at the district’s board meeting Monday.

Highland Elementary in Riverside now contains the students that previously attended Ainsworth Elementary since it was closed last spring. Elementary Principal Jane O’Leary addressed concerns of a lack of space for support staff, “We do have a very full building and I would like the board to consider solutions for next year. For example, today in our library we had E.L. (English as a second language) students working with the E.L. teacher, we had speech students working with the speech teacher, we had the music teacher preparing music because she’s on a cart. We had library going on all day long, we had people in the computer lab all day long. The technology integration specialist was in there, the instructional coach was in there, the preschool read it again person was in there, and the autism consultant was in there. And that’s all happening in our library.”

O’Leary said Mondays are the absolute worst in the library. Board member Nate Robinson asked if all the different programs can be spread out more in the week, but O’Leary said that is not all in her control, as Grant Wood instructors visit on their own particular schedule. Board member Rachel Longbine expressed concern over the space issue, asking why this wasn’t addressed last year when the board was deciding to close the Ainsworth building. O’Leary said she brought it to the board several times, starting before the board decided to close the building last February. Superintendent Dr. Mike Jorgensen said first grade will be going from three down to two sections next year, which could free up a classroom for support staff. Robinson said the board knew space would be tighter when they made their decision last spring, and that they should just live with how the situation is for now.